February 25, 2011

Meade did the video-recording on Thursday, and I edited things down to 4 1/2 minutes. The quote in the post title begins the montage. Look for the group of schoolchildren dragged through the crowd — they appear twice — and the baby with a sign. There are 2 men in ridiculous costumes, one of which speaks of violence with a sign reading "Gore Walker" on a helmet that has big bull horns sticking out of it. It took us a moment to get it, because "Gore" made us think of Al Gore, but "gore" with horns — and don't they look blood-reddened? — signifies a grisly piercing.

I don't agree with the strikers--if you can even call sickouters strikers--but they all look decent and agreeable enough. It takes an inflamed sense of politics to demonize such people. The narcissism of small differences. By the same token, it would take an inflamed sense of politics to sanctify such a struggle. They're not Harlan County coal miners struggling for a living wage and a sense of dignity....There's a new day yawning in Madison. This is to labor disputes what ice fishing is to winter sports.

Further proof that leftards are nothing more than emotional basket cases throwing a giant temper tantrum. Leftards are going to have to explain what they are being asked to do as state employees vs. the interests of the other private sector employees that pay for them.

Really, Althouse, what is your allegation? That this man is saying we should roll over Walker with what?

A steam roller? A log? What else is the weapon you think being brandished here?

And where are all the liberals and Democrats out there with steam rollers and logs?

It's a fucking metaphor. Like "railroad" as in "the Republicans railroaded their bill through in the dead of night."

Contrast to your darling right wingers, carrying firearms to rallies, the Tea Party in Atlanta openly calling for people to attend a labor rally with hidden weapons, open talk of shooting people they disagree with.

If you can't see the difference between the two, you have no business teaching anybody anything. Unfit!

Alpha: it would be like saying you Should "target" your opposition for defeat, right? What kind of moron would mistake that metaphor for a call to violence? What kind of illiterate writer or journalist would be stupid enough to confuse a figure of speech for a real vall to violence?

The emotionalism of the unions and teachers over this issue is truly embarrassing, especially when you realize their cause is themselves. Teachers in other states seem to be making a living just fine without collective bargaining.

The outpouring of union quasi-religious songs and drum-beating (war cry anyone?) is a shock to Americans who feel they owe allegiance to their God, their country, and their fellow citizens before elevating their own positions.

The "disappeared" legislators are a disgrace. At this point, they would have to sneak into the state building, as to come in through the protesters would appear to be crossing a strike line. This is surely intimidation of violence to stop them from voting.

When somebody says, "Gore Walker" (although exposing the Gov to the Living Redwood is a fate I'd wish on no man), it's 'nowhere near violent'.

I'd just like to know how Alpha/Montaigne/Freder reacts to the Lefty union goons who've threatened and abused in the past few days blacks, homosexuals, Jews, and, of course, that hero who punched Tabitha Hale in the face.

Reports say Gaddafi will raise public sector wages to 150% in bid to maintain power; ..... In a bid to hold on to power, the Libyan government announced on Friday that it plans to raise wages, increase food subsidies and give special allowances for all families, according to Reuters quoting Libyan TV reports.

The reports said that every family will receive about $400 to help cover increased food prices, and that salaries for some public sector workers would increase by 150 percent.

William - These "decent and agreeable" people have been participants in the bankrupting of Wisconsin and the nation. Are they for the most part unknowing sheeple? Yes. And so what? Fools can be just as dangerous as the knaves who herd them.

The emotionalism of the unions and teachers over this issue is truly embarrassing, especially when you realize their cause is themselves.

Exactly. They aren't demonstrating for the children or the future or anything. All they are doing is looking out for number one. Understandable, but hardly noble.

Also, there are a boatload of right to work states already. It's not that bad. You don't have to fork over a bunch of money to the union each paycheck if you don't want to. It's hardly the end of the world. Sheesh.

Contrast to your darling right wingers, carrying firearms to rallies, the Tea Party in Atlanta openly calling for people to attend a labor rally with hidden weapons, open talk of shooting people they disagree with.

Notice that the punch of a woman with a camera by a union person and the "blood in the streets" by a Democratic politician go unremarked by you.

MADISON, Wis. – Republicans in the Wisconsin Assembly took the first significant action on their plan to strip collective bargaining rights from most public workers, abruptly passing the measure early Friday morning before sleep-deprived Democrats realized what was happening....Republicans immediately marched out of the chamber in single file. The Democrats rushed at them, pumping their fists and shouting "Shame!" and "Cowards!"

The Republicans walked past them without responding.

Democrats left the chamber stunned. The protesters greeted them with a thundering chant of "Thank you!" Some Democrats teared up. Others hugged.

What's with taking groups of young students into what looks like a chaotic mob?

Even if the purpose of the visit is for reasons other than this protest, as the parent of a young student, I would be furious at the idea of her being dragged through an unsecured crowd like this. Who knows what kind of characters are lurking in the background - they could be from either side of the issue, or just deviants that are hanging around.

Some of those kids probably have parents who "tether" their youngsters at the mall - wonder what they would think if they saw this video.

"hey,motivated by fear, self preservation demands we band together and be heard. Though the consequences may be dire, the consequences of not acting will be far worse."

The new:

"hey, that was a BLAST! So many cool people. Can't wait until tomorrow. Got some killer slogans off the internet, and my girlfriend is bring home sign supplies from her work tonight. My buddy says he's got a box full of them noisy horns they used at the soccer games...we're going to drive them NUTS!"

The ones who were sleep deprived because they had proposed about a hundred amendments to the bill and had been discussing and voting on them for the past two days? Without leaving for the night? Those sleep-deprived Democrats?

questioning for the second time in the night whether the proper procedure had been followed.

The same Democrats whose colleagues in the Senate fled the state? Those Democrats questioned whether proper procedure had been followed? The Dems whose supporters had lied about being sick and then gotten fraudulent doctor's notes? Those Democrats?

This is the first of your videos that I actually saw someone I knew -- the lady from Indie Coffee. Like Ian's they've been getting out-of-town donations to pay for coffee for the Protestors. Which is good for the protestors since Indie coffee is great.

If the goons try to stop us we will roll right over them,We're gonna roll the union on.

True, this only shows that unions have been using aggressive rhetoric for a long time, but as aggressive rhetoric goes this is about as anodyne as "targeting" a politician for defeat. Sports teams have been rolling over each other for as long as there have been sports teams.

As was Sarah Palin saying to reload (are you aware of her or her followers literally firing guns? No, so then how could they literally reload?), as was Michelle Bachman saying she wants voters armed (since in fact she was saying she wants them armed with FACTS). And Palin's maps with "crosshairs" on them were no more incendiary than the democratic maps with bullseyes on them targeting republican districts.Thank you for pointing out how much of a bullshit enterprise you libs and dems were engaged in all the while. Don't complain when people hold your people to to the same (ridiculous) standard that you hold others. Maybe you should have told your liberal buddies to stop with the demagoguery (all in the name of tolerance no less) if you and your followers can't live up to the rules you set for others.It almost sounds like we're applying a little Alinsky rules to you and your jackass friends - making you live by your own rules. So, if you ask me, when they say they're going to roll right over scott walker there is no other interpretation than they are going to run him over with a car or a stampede. They are wishing him harm.Why are you liberals so violent?

Meanwhile Rep Paul Broun (R-Ga) responds to "who is going to shoot Obama? with a glib answer not in the least challenging such language. Of course we are going to roll over Walker with a recall vote-- the planning is already in the works.

I suspect she is enjoying this spectacle as much as I am. The left going into orbit.... Nazis, Hitler, Mussolini, cross hairs, union thugs punching out women with cameras, Dems fleebagging the state, Tingle Leg being more incoherent than normal ... while the governor is calm, cool and collected.

"Look what I'm dealing with, man. I'm dealing with fools and trolls. I'm dealing with soft targets, and it's just strafing runs in my underwear before my first cup of coffee … they lay down with their ugly wives and their ugly children and just look at their loser lives and then they look at me and say, 'I can't process it.' Well, no, and you never will! Stop trying! Just sit back and enjoy the show."

That video is so pitiful. "I'm sticking to the union till the day I die" is like finding the Japanese soldier on an island who still thinks the war is going on. Unions should go the way of the Whig party they are so non relevant at this point. The owners and businesses are not machine gunning people. People go to work every day and get benefits and salaries, and are not forced to work for some robber baron. If they don't like their work environment they can find other companies that provide similar services and try their luck there. Singing that "I'm sticking to the union song" may have been brave and relevant when union members were being killed for joining unions, only now it sounds simply like stubborness, and an obliviousness to facts on the ground.

If workers demand more than companies can give without going into the red, then all unions do is diminish the ability of workers to make it into a middle class. Yet the unions don't care. They're sticking with that horse till the day they die. They got all their money riding on that loser.And they wonder why unions are disappearing.Break that union Scott.

The "it's only speech" argument might fly if the Dems (Capuano, among others) weren't exhorting their Union thugs to get physical at the same time we're watching the thugs do just that. Kinda like we might believe their calls for civility if they weren't simultaneously waving Hitler signs.

DC, where it was caught on tape. God knows where else. Just in the last year or two we've seen Etheridge (D-NC) manhandling a kid asking questions and Martha Coakley's "aide" shoving a man to the ground. That's their leadership, and the screaming idiots are taking their lead.

I thought they agreed to a discussion-and-vote protocol with the Repubs? As in, they could enter a finite number of amendments, would limit discussion to 10 minutes, and then proceed to a floor vote? Didn't that just happen?

Yes. In the House. Claiming the Dems were blindsided by the floor vote is a lie. Which is why I only read MSM reporting re Wisconsin to see what propaganda they're trying to sell.

She has been pretty silent about this whole kerfuffle, unless I've missed something, which is likely.

One of my friends “liked” some comment of hers on facebook the other day…oh wait, it was about Libya, but there was an allusion to Wisconsin (more about what the President is doing than about the “kerfuffle” itself ).

The unions have become a kind of Charlie Sheen.. where the benefits the unions are on are the booze and dope Charlie is on.. where the state is to go bankrupt to sustain the current course and Charlie end up dead in his.

"She has been pretty silent about this whole kerfuffle, unless I've missed something, which is likely."

MM, this is what she wrote on her Facebook page on the 18th:

The union-led school closures and demonstrations in Madison have left most ordinary Americans shaking their heads in disbelief. Months ago, I penned a message to my fellow union brothers and sisters when I found myself on the receiving end of union boss Richard Trumka’s wrath. Yesterday’s demonstrations reminded me of the full-page ads taken out against me when I put my foot down in dealing with union demands while I served as governor.

My message then and now to good union brothers and sisters is that you have another option. You don’t have to kowtow to the union bosses who are not looking out for you, but instead are using you. You can join millions of other union members in a commonsense movement to help fight for the right causes in our great country – for budgets that share the burden in a truly fair way and for commonsense reforms that take power away from vested interests like union bosses and big business lobby groups, and put it back where it belongs – with “We the People.”

Here we are still struggling to get out of a deep recession and coping with high unemployment, record deficits, rapidly rising food prices, and a host of other economic problems; and Wisconsin union bosses want union members out in the streets demanding that taxpayers foot the bill for unsustainable benefits packages. I am a friend to hard working union members and to teachers.

I come from a family of teachers; my grandparents, parents, brother, sister, aunt, and other relatives worked, or still work, in education. My own children attend public schools. I greatly admire good teachers and will always speak up in defense of the teaching profession. But Wisconsin teacher unions do themselves no favor by closing down classrooms and abandoning children’s needs in protest against the sort of belt-tightening that people everywhere are going through. Union brothers and sisters: this is the wrong fight at the wrong time. Solidarity doesn’t mean making Wisconsin taxpayers pay for benefits that are not sustainable and affordable at a time when many of these taxpayers struggle to hold on to their own jobs and homes.

Real solidarity means everyone being willing to sacrifice and carry our share of the burden. It does no one any favors to dismiss the sacrifices others have already had to make—in wage cuts, unpaid vacations, and even job losses—to weather our economic storm.

Hard working, patriotic, and selfless union brothers and sisters: please don’t be taken in by the union bosses. At the end of the day, they’re not fighting for your pension or health care plan or even for the sustainability of Wisconsin’s education budget. They’re fighting to protect their own powerful privileges and their own political clout.

The agenda for too many union bosses is a big government agenda that only serves the union bosses themselves – not union members, not union families, and certainly not the larger community. Everybody else is just there to foot the bill; and if that bill eventually takes the form of thousands of teachers and other public sector workers losing their jobs because the state of Wisconsin can no longer afford to keep them on the payroll, that’s a risk the union bosses are willing to take as long as their positions are secure. Union brothers and sisters: you are better than this and you deserve better. Don’t be led astray.

One final word of warning to my fellow Americans: back in 2009, I warned about what would happen if states accepted short-term unsustainable debt-ridden “Stimulus Package” funds. Accepting those funds allowed states to grow government, increase already unsustainable levels of spending, kick the can down the road on reforming entitlements, and create public expectations that they would continue financing these new mandates once the federal funds ran out. States were not in a position to grow government and take on new financial commitments then, and now the chickens have come home to roost. As goes Wisconsin today, so goes the country tomorrow.

Re: recall, it's one year from commencement of term in office. So, January for Walker, but already started for 7 Dem Senators who were incumbents. If a recall petition is successful, a new general election is held MM.

I'm not a cheesehead so I don't know. I'm not sure recalls are a good idea. California recalled Grey Davis and ended up with The Governator and look how well that turned out for Khali-for-ni-a.

I can understand a recall if a elected official wasn't doing his job, or was doing the complete opposite of what they said they'd do if elected, but to recall someone for doing their job, and doing exactly what they said they would do?

I swear, I feel like I'm in some kind of parallel universe where every day is "Opposite Day".

"...ended up with The Governator and look how well that turned out for Khali-for-ni-a.

Then again that state is about as ungovernable as you can get so who knows."

Hoosier, this is why I support Walker's efforts. Basically, when Arnold was elected he really was gung-ho about reform. He took on the establishment pretty strongly with a couple years worth of fights. He pushed for some really worthwhile propositions, got them on the ballot. A key one was making it so union members would have an option about their dues being used for political purposes.

The Teacher's union went all out against him. He got thrashed. Indeed, over the first two years he got thrashed so much that they basically broke him. He was routed and crushed, becoming a placeholder rather than a leader.

California's history shows it's not inherently ungovernable. But we have now gotten to the point that we're an oligarchy run by union leaders (a unionarchy?), so are quite stuck in a bad place now.

Walker is starting off right, because what happened in California is that the union machine will oppose any and every measure to get back on track financially. Indeed, because it is the union bosses and their owned politicians who are the primary benefactors, the unions will let a city and state go to absolute crap and even still won't let reforms. Just look at Detroit.

If the right pigs get to feed at the trough they don't care if the rest of the animals are starving. And will even throw supporters under the bus, or to the glue factory, if they are no longer useful.

Lordy, if a $43,000 Koch Bros donation buys them soooo much influence, just think what the $300,000+ unions donated to Barrett would've bought! Or how about the $1.6 million WEAC spent on WI Senate races? But certainly no inside dealing, right? Move along...nothing to see here except normal union-Democrat symbiotic parasitism.

According to Federal Election Commission figures compiled by the Center for Responsive Politics, Goldman Sachs' political action committee and individual contributors who listed the company as their employer donated $994,795 during 2007 and 2008 to Obama's presidential campaign, the second-highest contribution from a company PAC and company employees...

According to figures dating to 1990, Goldman Sachs' PAC and employees have consistently contributed more money to Democratic rather than Republican candidates for federal office.

In the 2008 election, three out of every four dollars contributed by Goldman Sachs went to Democrats.

And of course you get your panties in a bunch about $34,000 out of $37 million, from a man to whom the governor has never once spoken.

That's why you and roesch-voltaire and Alpha Lib come here every day, "independently", with the same off-topic talking point.

So do I. I have little issue with private sector unions because as a consumer I have the choice to purchase from other competitors should the union negotiate such a deal that they make the product uncompetitive from a price standpoint.

With public sector unions, I have zero say in their negotiations for wages/benefits and simply have to pay higher taxes when it becomes necessary to pay for it.

It's quite odd AlpaLiberal is lecturing us on our alleged hypocrisy on at least three levels.

First, his own hypocrisy is undeniable. Here is his first comment assessing blame for the Giffords shooting:

"AlphaLiberal said...

She's gone.

She was one of the House Democrats in Sarah Palin's "target" ad, with the crosshairs placed on a map.

Fuckers. "

Here he is absolving the left for using violent metaphors:

"AlphaLiberal said...

That is one dumb-ass argument, Ann.

That's a figure of speech, it is nowhere near violent.

You are really reaching. Hysterical."

So AL's hypocrisy is 100% clear: his opinions of right and wrong are completely dependent on which side is acting.

So this brings us his second level of hypocrisy. He asserts conservatives here are hypocrites regardless of whether they have supported violent metaphors, mere silence is enough to charge them. But as we see, his own hypocrisy is evident even if one requires actual defense of violent metaphors to support the accusation.

Which brings us to the third level of hypocrisy:

AL writes as if hypocrisy is the end of the world, and yet even should his accusation be proven (which of course it is not) it would only make us as bad as he.

Looks like a meeting of ignorant Union Fascisti to me. The more the American People see these unionized "educators" behave like the Mongol Horde of Attila the Hun the more they realize what unprofessional, greedy public servants they are.

It is indeed time to eliminate public unions. We no longer will sit by to be extorted in this manner. Screw these idiot!

Lem wrote;The unions have become a kind of Charlie Sheen.. where the benefits the unions are on are the booze and dope Charlie is on.. where the state is to go bankrupt to sustain the current course and Charlie end up dead in his.

Dilution, hell bent on self destruction, arrogant..

Actually to carry that analogy a bit further, I just saw that the the network cancelled the remainder of the season of two and a half men. Meaning Charlie will be out about 20 million. And of course 200 of the little guys making nowhere near 2 million an episode,unlike Charlie, are now out of work because of him and his inability to control his appetite. Thanks Charlie.Yet of course CHarlie made demands and said that he's ready to get back to work and now was the time to hire him. Same selfishness exhibited by the unions. Give us our benefits, screw you if it bankrupts the state.

Why hasn't President Obama said anything to the effect that the Democratic lawmakers have to go back to work in Madison, or else lose their jobs. Whose job is it to make certain that lawmakers remain within the laws?

It's very strange: Obama doesn't seem to either understand the law, or care that it is practiced unless it's his law, his way. He really ought to defend the laws, rather than one party's laws.

The union-inspired program of attempting to provoke some violent act by a Walker supporter is dangerous for the right. The violence of the "protesters" is virtually ignored by the press, and it is totally ignored, and probably secretly praised, by Obama. As soon as there is something improper done by someone on the right Obama will address it with wide media coverage. This will be a constant part of our reality between now and the November 2012 elections.

rick (at 6:30 AM) said...@Alpha "A steam roller? A log? What else is the weapon you think being brandished here? And where are all the liberals and Democrats out there with steam rollers and logs? " Palin .... Sarah Palin. Remember her Alpha? The one who put cross hairs on map prior to the election. A MAP!! And then was blamed by your compadres in the media for days after the Giffords shooting.

Let's go back to January 8, 2011 and take a closer look at what AlphalphaLiberal said, shall we?

AlphaLiberal said...She's gone. She was one of the House Democrats in Sarah Palin's "target" ad, with the crosshairs placed on a map. Fuckers. Can we please drop the hysteria now? All the "reload," drawing targets on people, describing opponents as traitors, all of it that we've heard for years. Just STFU already. There are fragile minds and hateful minds out there, damn it. Show some responsibility.1/8/11 1:24 PM

AlphaLiberal said...Who is next? Her office has been receiving threats of violence for some time. Chef Mojo, fuck yourself. Fuck yourself. Sarah Palin drew crosshairs on her, the right wing and Republican Party has been stoking rage in this country for a long time. Political motivation is the most plausible explanation, asshole. You're arguing this is some random grocery store shootup? And you will deny it, make apologies as has happened in all the previous political murders. Who is next?1/8/11 1:30 PM

AlphaLiberal said...Remember, the DHS warned us of the rising threat of violent extremism from the political right. And you guys whipped up hysteria over this. She was a Blue Dog Democrat, for fuck's sake.1/8/11 1:32 PM

AlphaLiberal said...Here is the art work on Sarah Palin's rifle scope crosshairs on Rep Giffords' district and others. That server's been crashed so here's another photo of Palin's violence-themed campaign solicitation.1/8/11 1:45 PM

AlphaLiberal said...In Africa and Europe we have seen radio hosts and politicians openly call for the killing of people. Then those people are killed. Hysterical demagogues are creating that situation here. Sarah Palin: "Don't retreat - RELOAD!" Fuck you too, Sarah, you sick fuck.1/8/11 1:48 PM

AlphaLiberal said...Political motivation is the most likely explanation. Someone of the right motivated by the people in our body politic running around with guns at political events and urging people to take "Second Amendment remedies" and reload are most likely. Of course it could be something else that motivated the gunman. It is not likely. Will conservatives finally stop flirting with violence? We've had a series of killings now. Cut it out. Speak against the violence-invoking language. Stop making excuses.1/8/11 2:21 PM

AlphLib (and the rest of his ilk) are dishonest cowards. He'll lie about what he meant in those statements or he'll simply refuse to address your post. There are no principles involved when Libs speak, so they have no real interest in defending their positions.

"Really, Althouse, what is your allegation? That this man is saying we should roll over Walker with what?"

I'm posting the whole 1 1/2 minute speech of this man (uploading). The union will "roll on" -- he says --and roll over Scott Walker if he gets in the way. I thought the context made that pretty clear, but that's what it is if you are actually confused.

@DBQ -- One of my favorite movies is Matewan, despite my lack of love for present day unions. It's a very musical movie. "Fire in the Hole" is one enjoyable song. Also enjoyable, despite the fact that I'm an atheist, are Hazel Dickens' gospel songs, particularly "Deliver Us From the Gathering Storm."

AlphaLiberal is waiting for his instructions from the biggest sugar daddy of them all, Mr. Soros, who puts a million dollars into the leftists' pockets for every dollar the Kochs put into libertarian / conservative causes. Come on, AlphaLiberal, tell me that the assault on Tabitha Koch was metaphoric.

By your logic then, AlphalphaLiberal's should be the loudest, most insistent voice condemning these violent metaphors, demanding self-censorship, and "speak[ing] against the violence-invoking language."